Generally nihilist, though that doesn't stop me from choosing to behave like a humanist utilitarian.

Why I'm on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I host when I can, and have traveled a fair bit using the CS network. The opportunity to see a place from the view of someone who lives there is what I treasure most about this wonderful site.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

First I stayed a few nights in Nashville, TN while at a conference. Then I went to Australia, where I stayed with Couchsurfers in Melbourne, Hobart, Canberra, Adelaide, Port Macquarie, Sunshine Beach, and Perth. I surfed a bit in the Bay Area of California, and then lived with a Couchsurfer in São Paulo for several months. Thanks, guys!

Interests

Generally speaking, analyzing complex systems is my thing.

Music, Movies & Books

Books:
Science: "Godel, Escher, Bach" was nice."Understanding Philosophy of Science" and "Forty Studies that Changed Psychology" were really educational for me. "On the Origin of Species" was soooo elegant.

Philosophy: Nietzsche's fun, though a douche. Erasmus is really entertaining.

Fiction: I read most of Anne McCaffrey's work when I was young, same for Tolkein, and many of the sci-fi/fantasy authors in between. The Silmarillion is actually a good read, folks. Harry Potter was fun, but Rowling's prose gets pretty questionable at times.

I really prefer to read the old, proven stuff over things written in the past 20 years. Exception: Harry Potter, because...I suck :-P

Movies: I like artsy and/or classic movies, but also some big blockbuster hits. So, Birth of a Nation or V for Vendetta = Good. Scooby Doo and White Chicks = Bad. 5th Element is also awesome, as is Grindhouse.

Music: A wide variety, but I think I have to count The Flower Kings and Transatlantic as my all-time favorites. I have 15 days of music on my computer and I considered virtually all of it good. Led Zeppelin, the Doors, the Who, Bjork, Radiohead, Frank Zappa, Stravinsky, Beethoven, Barenaked Ladies, David Bowie, Billy Joel, Yes, Elton John, John Denver and King Crimson are some more recognizable names. Yes, that's probably the first time the words "John Denver and King Crimson" have ever been written.

Food: I enjoy all food, but I like it to be high quality, non-greasy/sugary/salty stuff. I'm a pseudo vegetarian, which means I can go a week with no meat without really noticing, and then eat a steak with my bare hands.

Roleplaying games: I started out with Dungeons and Dragons, like most gamers, when I was young, but converted to GURPS a few years ago. A good gaming group, however, will make any rules system seem awesome.

Video Games: The Myst series was my first video game love, followed shortly thereafter by Master of Orion 2. Civilization IV is now the pinnacle of gaming for me. Super Smash Brothers is awesome, but I'm not terribly good at it (maybe because I love playing Mewtwo). For two years I played Halo like a part time job, but I've pretty much put FPSs aside now. Aggressive Alpine Skiing ate my life for 48 hours until I finished it. The theme song is in my music library.

Television: I tend to watch a lot of one show at a time, thanks to DVDs and Hulu. Current love: Dollhouse (Whiskey's awesome!). Old flames: BSG, Firefly, and Lucy, Daughter of the Devil.